The nation is celebrating the 49th Victory Day, marking the most precious day when Bangladesh was liberated from Pakistani occupation after a nine-month war through the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honour of 2, 00,000 women. Bangladesh was born as an independent country on this day under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After over two decades of West Pakistani rule, Bengalis in then the East Pakistan won a bloody war to carve out an independent state on this day. The victory was hard won after millions of Bangladeshis faced bloodshed, torture, deprivation and persecution.
The day began with President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paying tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar, outskirt of Dhaka on Monday (Dec 16) morning. A stream of people also gathered at the National Memorial to pay tribute to the martyrs of 1971.